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Disable Caps Lock

If you find yourself pressing the Caps Lock key accidentally as much as I do, note that you can disable it entirely in Mac OS X. Open the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane, click the Modifier Keys button, and in the dialog that appears, select No Action from the Caps Lock pop-up menu. You could remap it to another modifier instead, but that might make using differently configured Macs more difficult.

CE Ships AE & QK2 Updates

CE Software is now shipping new versions of Alarming Events, a personal scheduling software, and QuicKeys, a macro making program. In addition CE has reduced the suggested retail price of Alarming Events to $99.95.

Alarming Events 1.1 -- Alarming Events 1.1 is primarily a compatibility upgrade, making it 32-bit clean and Quadra '040 cache compatible, but it does have some welcome new features. Most useful among these are the new "Find" and "Find Again" commands, which allow users to find an event or appointment using specific words or phrases. Although previous versions were good about reminding you when an appointment, event, or other activity was imminent, finding a specific future entry required searching manually. This Find feature would also be a welcome addition to CE's flagship product, QuickMail. In addition, Alarming Events now has a more colorful interface, a revamped notification system, and an Apple Installer script. Registered users of Alarming Events 1.0 can upgrade for $20, and users who purchased the product after 01-Jun-92 can upgrade free. Users should contact CE at one of the phone numbers below, and should be prepared to provide their serial numbers.

QuicKeys 2.1.2 -- According to CE's recent propaganda, "No one in the world makes desktop automation so easy," and with the new release of QuicKeys, they may be right. QuicKeys 2.1.2 incorporates the Instant QuicKeys, SoftKeys, and QK Icons features described in TidBITS-123, and seven new logic extensions that allow branching based on various conditions. Instant QuicKeys is an "intelligent" automated setup program that helps new users past the hurdles of customizing their QuicKeys macros. The SoftKeys extension provides on-screen palettes of favorite QuicKeys, and QK Icons creates double-clickable mini-applications that execute QuicKeys shortcuts from the desktop. System 7 users will even be able to use drag & drop to access with the QK Icons, for example by dragging multiple documents to a printer QuicKey icon in order to print those documents to the specified printer. This capability is one which Apple promised would be part of a new Print Manager in System 7, but which has yet to arrive.

An updater utility for users of QuicKeys 2.1 can be downloaded from popular online services soon, but this does not include Instant QuicKeys, SoftKeys, QK Icons, or the new logic extensions. Registered QuicKeys users should contact CE for upgrade instructions.

You may not be able to find that updater online right away, since CE has discovered a problem with 2.1.2 that may cause your Universal Keyset to be corrupted under System 6. CE has identified the problem and will make new updaters available soon. From what Tom Hillson of CE Tech Support has told us, the problem may be related to installing without turning off anti-virus software, but if you have any questions, contact Tom at <cesoftware@aol.com> or CE Tech Support at 515/224-1953. You'll probably notice if you've already run into this problem because the Universal Keyset being corrupted can cause the Mac to crash before loading the Finder.

CE is offering a special sidegrade option to owners of the competing Tempo macro utility from Affinity Microsystems, which recently shipped a System 7-compatible version of Tempo after almost a year. US and Canadian Tempo owners may upgrade to QuicKeys 2.1.2 for only $49, through 30-Sep-92. This offer is available only by mail, fax, or e-mail, not by telephone, and users must provide their serial number, manual cover page (mailed or faxed), or the original program disk from their Tempo package, along with full name, address, telephone number, and method of payment. Orders may be faxed to the number below; emailed to CESOFTWARE on AppleLink, America Online, or MCI Mail, <cesoftware@aol.com> on the Internet, 76136,2137 on CompuServe, or via QuickMail to 515/224-1721; or mailed to:

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